Driving and sustaining surfaces applicable to navigation in air and water.



A. P. FILIPPI.

DRIVING AND SUSTAINING SURFACES APPLICABLE TO NAVIGATION IN AIR AND WATER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24,1912;

Patented July 14, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses- A. 1 FILIPPI.

DRIVING AND SUSTAINING SURFACES APPLICABLE TO NAVIGATION IN AIR AND WATER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE-24,1912.

LAWJNQ Patented. July 14,191

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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DRIVING AND sus'rlunme smarscns APBLICABLE re navrelarron IN I -warnh.

fipecification of Eetters latent.

Patented J Application filed June 24, 1912. Serial No. 705,560.

. To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANTOINE PAnonn FILIPPI, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at 132 Avenue du Maine, Paris, France, civil engineer, have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in Driving and Sustaining Surfaces Applicable to Navigation in Air and Water, of which the following is a specification.

It is known that when a surface (or rotatable plane) of a certain form having suitably curved or bent edges is rotated in the air in a direction in which the forward or upper edge of the surface or plane moves foremost, the rotation gives rise to a reduction of pressure on the forward or upper face of the surface; the pressure on the 0p 'posite face remaining nearly constant, there scribed for example, in the specifications of the United States Patents Nos. 920,554, for patent, Serial Number 616,712.

The present invention has for its object a method of assisting the reduction of pressure resulting from the phenomenon hereinbefore described; the method consists essentially in directing to the center of the forward or upper face of the surface a current of air or other fluid having a suificient speed to sweep over this surface and to increase the speed with which the air passes away from the center.

The accompanying several arrangements by whic tion may be carried intoefiect.

Figure 1 is a vertical diagrammatic section SllOWiIlgztLIl arrangement adapted to direct air or other fluid above a rotatable sustaining surface. Fig. 2 is a vertical diarammatic section of a modification in which the air is directed above the surface from a pipe specially provided for the purpose. Fig. 3 is a vertical diagrammatic section to a larger scale, showing, by way of example, a device capable of being applied so as to direct the air from a fan into the hollow shaft (as shown in Fig. 1),. Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically a device for directing air below the surface as well as above it; Fig. 5 is a drawin s illustrate the invendiagrammatic elevation of an apparatus of I i the helicopter type with sustaining surfaces constructed according to the invention; finally Fig. 6 shows in plan a surface with curved or bent edges and provided with a deflecting plate for the air which insures the necessary reduction of pressure.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the shaft 1 of the sustaining surface 2 is hollow; it is prolonged at its lower part below the bevel pinion 3, as is shown more clearly in Fig. 3, so as to receive the pipe which directs the air drawn in by the fan l. This fan may be mounted, as shown in Fig. 1, on the shaft of the motor 5, this shaft also carrying at its extremity the bevel pinion 6.

Above the surface 2 and at a certain distance from this surface is fixed a screen or deflecting plate '7 of suitable dimensions. The air, drawn in by the fan 4 and passing through the hollow shaft 1 as indicated by the arrow F, is broken up against the screen 7 and escapes in the direction of the arrows F, sweeping across the forward or upper face of the surface 2 (according as it acts as a driving or as a sustaining surface) 2 and thus increasing on this face, the phenomenon of the reduction of pressure hereinbefore mentioned.

When, sired to for any reason Whatever, it is deavol'd directing the fluid through 2. In this modification the fluid drawn through the fan passes through the tube 8 which is divided into two branches 9 and 9; each of these branches is terminated as shown in Fig. 2 by a small elbow and by a plate or disk 10, 10, which vacts in asimilar way to the screen '3' in. Fig. 1; it fwill be understood in fact that the fluid passing through. the fan and arriving through the pipes 9 or S? is forced to pass over the upper face of the surfaces 2, in the direction of the arrows F. InFig. 2 l have supposed that there are two motors 5 "it is needless to say that the device. could also be constructed with a single motor driving the fan 4 and, effecting the rotation of the wings 2, 2.

Fig. 3 shows the devices WhlCh may be applied in order to direct into the hollow shaft 1, the fluid drawn in by the fan 4:, while allowing of the rotation of the shaft 1. As will be seen in by way of example, one of j this figure, the shaft 1 is prolonged at the lower portion below the pinion 3, and is surrounded by a fixed sleeve 11. A ball race 12 disposed between the sleeve and the shaft 1, allows ofthe free rotation of the shaft 1 evidently advantageous to reduce or destroy this partial vacuum since the force which produces the advance results from the difference'between the'pressure existing on the forward face and the pressure existing on the rear facefof the lane; now, since the pressure existing on't e rear face cannot be greater than the atmospheric pressure, it is advantageous to maintain this pressure as near as possible to the atmospheric pressure; it is for this purpose thatthe device which is shown in Fig. 4 has been rovided; part of the airdrawn in b the fan is directed, as has been hereinbe ore described, in the direction of the arrow A, to the front face of the plane against the screen 7; another volumeof this air passes in the directionof the other arrows into a tube B concentric with the shaft 1;, this air serves toraise the pressure under the plane in the part a-.-b.

Fig. 5 shows how the invention may be applied to an apparatus of the helicopter type constructed with two sustaining surfaces provided according to one of the patents before referred to; in this figure 2, 2 are the surfaces'to which a movement .of rotation is givenjby one or two motors provided in the car 14.. In this car are also provided.

the fans driven by the motor or motors, these fans drawing in air and passing it to the up er side .ofthe surface in the manner which as been described. I

It will beunderstood thatinstead of employing air any other gas which may or may not be mixed with liquid may be used. .The fan may-be dispensed with and a gas under pressure contained in a suitable receptacle v the reduction of pressure effected at themay be employed in its place.

The invention may be applied. to rotary surfaces for traction and propulsion as wellas to sustainin surfaces; it is more especially suitable or application to the rotary surfaces described in the patents before referred to, but it is needless'to say thatit might also be applied to rotary surfaces of any other form provided on the principle hereinbefore-mentioned,' that is to say, on

front or upper face of a surface having a rotary movement around an axis normal to the surface. The same device may-of course,

be applied to navigation in or on Water by directing a fluid or a liquid under the same conditions over the surfaces in motion. Finally, surfaces thus provided may be employed, as aerial tractors on water and on to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of a rotatable surface or plane of a form such that on its rotation a reduction of pressure of the medium in which the surface or plane rotates results at one of the faces of the surface or plane, with means for directing gas or fluid under pressure radially outward for the purpose of increasing the said reduction of pressure.

2. The combinationof a rotatable surface or plane of a form such that on its rotation a reduction of pressure of the medium in What I claim as my invention and desire which the surface or plane rotates results at one of the faces of the surface or plane, with means for directing gas or fluid under pressure radially outward for the purpose of increasin the said reduction of pressure and means or supplying gas or fluld under pressure to the other face of the surface or plane forthe purpose of reducing or destroyin the partial vacuum created at the center y the rotation of the surface or plane. a

3. The combination of a rotatable surface or plane of a form such that on its rotation a reduction of pressure of the medium in which the surface or plane rotates results at one of the faces of the surface or'plane, with a disk or plate coaxially disposed adjacent the said face and means for directing gas or fluid under pressure to the center of the space between the disk or plate and the sur ace or plane and radially outward over the face thereof.

4:. The combination .of a rotatable surface or plane of a form such that on its rotation a reduction of ressure of the medium in which the sur ace or plane rotates results at one of the faces of the sunface or lane, with a hollow shaft on which. the sur aceor plane is mounted, means for supplying gas or fluid to the hollow shaft, and a deflector latecoaxially disposed adjacent the said ace of the surface or plane and adapted to' deflect the as or fluid radially outward over the sur ace or plane.

5. The combination of a rotatable surface or plane of a form such that on its rotation a reduction of pressurefof the medium in which the surface or plane rotates results at one of the faces of the surface or plane, with a hollow shaft on which the said surface or plane is -mounted, a fan forcing gas. or flu1d under pressure into the hollow shaft, means for driving the fan, and a deflector plate co-axial with the hol-' face or plane.

sults at one of the faces of low shaft and adjacent the outer end thereof and the said face of the surface or plane, the said deflector plate being adapted to deflect the as or fluid radially outward over the sai face of the surface or plane to increase the speed of the said medium passing toward the periphery of the sur- 6. The combination of a rotatable surface or plane of a form such that on its rotation a reduction of pressure of the medium in which the surface or plane rotates rethe surface or plane, with a plate or disk co-axially disposed adjacent the said face of the surface or plane, a conduit for gas or fluid under pressure terminating in an orifice in the center of the said surface or plane, and means for supplying gas orfluid under pressure to the said conduit. or plane of a form such that .on its rotation a reduction of pressure of the medium in which the surface or plane rotates results at one of the faces of the surface or plane, with a plate or disk co-axially disposed adjacent the said face of the surface or plane, a conduit for gas or fluid pressure terminating in an orifice in the center of the said surface or plane, a fan for supplying gas or fluid under pressure to the said con uit and means for driving the said fan.

- 8. The combination of a rotatable surface or.plane of a form such that on its rotation a reduction of pressure of the medium in The combination of a rotatable surface under.

which the surface or plane rotates results at one of the faces of the surface or plane, with a plate or disk coaxially disposed adjacent the said face, means for supplying gas or fluid under pressure to the center of the space between the said plate or disk and the surface or plane so that the gas or fluid is deflected radially outward, and means for supplying gas or fluid under pressure to the other face of the surface of lane.

9. The combination of or plane of a form such that on its'rotation a reduction of pressure of the medium in which the surface or plane rotates results at one of the faces of the surface or plane,

a hollow shaft upon which the said surface or plane is mounted, a deflector plate adjacent the end of the hollow shaft and the said face of the surface or plane, means for forcing gas or fluid under pressure through the hollow shaft to impinge upon the said plate or disk so as to be deflected radially outward, a hollow sleeve surrounda rotatable surface I ing the said shaft with an open end ad- 1 jacent the other face of the surface or plane, and means for forcing gas or fluid under pressure through the said sleeve to the surface or plane.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANTOINE PADOUE FILIPPI,

Witnesses: r

A. C. Coxn, MIGUEL FEnoLo. 

